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What Does A Human Resources Manager Do?

Written by:

Daymar College

The human resources manager has many responsibilities throughout the day that include hiring employees, managing people and communications, administering employee performance reviews, and completing payroll duties.

Hiring

The most visible part of the day for a human resources manager is hiring new employees. The human resources manager is responsible for recruitment of new candidates, interviewing and selecting the candidates. A company’s culture plays a big role in the hiring process, as human resources managers want to make sure new employees can work with and contribute to the improvement of the current staff.

Recruitment – The human resources manager works with many employment websites and recruiters to identify new candidates for open positions in the organization. They are responsible for writing job descriptions and working with the hiring manager to identify the characteristics and traits the new candidate should possess.

Interviewing – The human resources manager usually conducts the first interview with a new candidate. They will introduce the organization, explain the job and organization, and identify whether the candidate should move along in the hiring process. Once a candidate is selected, the human resources manager will pass on the resume to a hiring manager for them to review new candidates.

Candidate Selection - The human resources manager is one of the people in the organization that has a say about whether a candidate should be selected.

Once an employee is hired the human resources manager will conduct a series of meetings with the new hire to inform them of their rights as an employee at the organization. They will also help the new employee orientate themselves to the organization, fill out necessary paperwork and finalize contracts and employee compensation.

People

Not only is the human resources manager responsible for the process of hiring employees, they must also manage employee career development, make sure employment laws are abided by, and, occasionally, must let employees go.

Employees have the right to be free from discrimination and harassment, the right to a safe workplace, the right to be free from retaliation for filing a claim or complaint against an employer, and to receive fair wages for work performed. The Fair Labor Standards Act provides regulation as to the duration of work days and breaks an employee must be provided.

Career Development – Human resources managers must use leadership skills to direct a staff to complete their duties and fulfill their responsibilities. Further, they offer guidance and a career path to employees looking to move up in the organization. Many organizations will have seminars for employees, through a career development theme, to hone their skills and better contribute to the organization.

Management

Much of the day for a human resources manager is involved with business communication, both verbally and with computer software including Microsoft Windows and Office.

Microsoft Windows and Office – Learning how to use computer programs such as Microsoft Windows and Office are important for a human resources manager. Much of the reporting and correspondence in a human resources manager’s day involves the use of Microsoft Office.

Business Communications – The human resources manager must be good at sharing information between employees. They must be well versed in both oral and written communication to interface with employees and perform the tasks of a human resources manager.

Performance

During the career development phase of a human resources manager’s day, they must implement employee performance reviews along with the manager of a department. The human resources manager must also mediate disputes in the organization abiding by all employment laws and regulations.

Employee Performance Reviews – Coordinating an organization’s workforce to best use employees’ talents offering feedback on performance. There are four types of employee performance reviews:

Numerical Rating Scale – the most widely used due to its simplicity (i.e. 1 to 5). The human resources manager will rate employees based on teamwork, reliability, and attention to detail, among other skills.

Objective Based Performance Review – The human resources manager will work with the employee’s manager to set goals for the employee to achieve. The employee will work to meet the goal by the deadline set.

360-Degree Appraisal – The human resources manager gathers information from multiple points of contact including managers and coworkers to assess the performance of an employee.

Critical Incidents – This type of appraisal allows the human resources manager to look at critical events where the employee did something well or needs to work on a skill for future success.

Dispute Mediation – Human resources managers must handle staffing issues by mediating disputes and directing disciplinary procedures. The human resources manager uses decision-making skills to balance the strengths and weaknesses of different options and decides the best course of action during mediation.

Economy

The human resources manager has a direct role in the economy of the company and is involved in managing employee benefits, payroll, and business expense reporting of employees.

Employee Benefits – The human resources manager is responsible for managing employee benefits from health insurance, to dental insurance, 401K and retirement benefits, stock options, daycare, sick leave, vacation and other benefits associated with the position at the organization.

Accounting and Payroll – At small businesses, where there is not an accounting department, the human resources manager can be responsible for payroll. The human resources manager will manage time cards, interface with a payroll company and distribute checks to employees. They are also responsible for managing the business expenses of employees to reimburse for company expenses.

Being a human resources manager can be a rewarding career as you shape the future of many employees. The human resources manager helps hire, develop and evaluate the performance of those employees in the context of their contribution to the organization.

The Human Resources Program at Daymar College is designed to prepare future employees for the fast-paced changes encountered in the human resources industry. At Daymar College, we strive to help college students succeed with small class sizes and career services. Throughout your learning, you can grow personally and professionally in an atmosphere that fosters the connection between college students and school instructors.

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Clicking the “Send Request” button below constitutes your express written consent to be called and/or texted by Daymar at the number(s) provided, including a wireless number if provided, regarding furthering your education. You understand that these calls may be live or generated using an automated technology. Standard message & data rates apply. I may revoke this consent at any time. I understand I am not required to provide consent as a condition of considering purchasing education services from Daymar. As an alternative, I may call Daymar at the number provided.

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